Rise of Kitty-Girl
by nemosynth
Summary: Five years after the fall of Tylon, Uriko Nonomura leads a happy, peaceful life. But when her family is targeted, that peace is shattered. Uriko sets out on a quest to save her mother, but first, she'll have to find a master willing to guider her on it.
1. After the End

**Special Intelligence Memo**

 **Subject: Six Months Post-Operation Follow-Up Report**

 **Recipient: Internal Intelligence Division**

 **Sender: Special Agent Codename CHIROPTEROS**

 **-BEGIN REPORT—**

As of six months post-operation, we have yet to uncover any more relevant developments to the TYLON Dismantlement Operation.

As you may recall, rogue elements to our dismantlement operation led to the full-on destruction of target TYLON CORPORATION. Through forces beyond the Intelligence Division's control, the target's main Headquarters was destroyed, their deeds exposed, and their then-current activities actively prevented. While not as a graceful undertaking as would have been preferred, these events effectively confirmed our dismantlement operation a success.

The processing of former TYLON assets continues quietly. Former corporation executives and employees continue to be debriefed while those complicit in unethical and inhumane actions have been jailed and await trial. TYLON data has been intercepted by Intelligence Division forces and is being analyzed for further evidence of TYLON's misdeeds. The human subjects recovered from the labs have been treated, wiped of their memories of their experiences, and for the most part, successfully reintegrated to their normal lives.

That is not to say that _all_ involved assets and subjects have been recovered. There remains a handful of employees; including scientists, assassins, and other operatives, whose whereabouts and activities have yet to be confirmed. Of them include assassins H. "FOX" TAUBERMANN and L. "TIGER" SHIN, along with head TYLON researchers H. BUSUZIMA and S. GOLDBERG (relevant dossiers attached). Given the value of these individuals' testimonies, and the actual _physical danger_ that their uncontrolled actions may pose, it is highly recommended that these individuals be located and recovered with maximum expediency, and if necessary, _neutralized._

Our side is not without losses, either. Regretfully, we report the death of Special Operative YUJI OGAMI (survived by son and civilian, YUGO OGAMI, dossier attached). Ogami Sr.'s remains were recovered from the now-destroyed TYLON HQ and confirmed by Special Operative ALAN GADO.

But ultimately, we confirm positive post-operation effects as well. Most of the children involved in TYLON's experiments have been returned to their families and continue to adjust positively to normal lives. Of interest are the young girl, Uriko Nonomura (TYLON Subject Codename CHIMERA ZERO-ONE) and a young boy of unknown identity (TYLON Subject Codename IRON MOLE ZERO-TWO).

The girl's mother, civilian Mitsuko Nonomura, was of great benefit to the dismantlement operation and played an integral role in the rescue of TYLON subjects. After rescuing her daughter, Mitsuko was also able to take in an orphaned subject, another young girl by the name of Alice Tsukagami. The Nonomura family has been observed to have easily readjusted to normal life post-operation.

Meanwhile, the young boy has been given the identity of "Kenji Ogami" and was adopted by the aforementioned Yugo Ogami. Kenji remains an amnesiac, but, like the Nonomuras, has steadily shown success in readjustment. Both families continued to be monitored for further developments, but it is unlikely that any drastic events will arise any time soon.

In conclusion, all post-operation activities are proceeding smoothly, and we can expect to wrap everything up by a year post-operation. There is little need for any proactive activities, and it is recommended that all activities be downgraded to simple observance and monitoring operations. Should no complications arise, we can expect to taper off and cease all follow-up operations within two years post-operation.

With that established, there remains no need for my involvement in this dismantlement operation. I shall expect the agreed-upon payment promptly and in accordance with our previously-established standards of delivery.

Regards

Special Agent CHIROPTEROS


	2. Kitty's Bad Day

It was a peaceful early summertime afternoon. Outside a bedroom window, birds chirped and sung blissfully, calling to each other and fluttering throughout the trees. Gentle sunlight filtered in through the curtains, with bright, tiny motes floating slowly down. A cool breeze blew in the sweet scent of some neighborhood flower, giving the bedroom a relaxed, peaceful air.

Underneath that bedroom window, a girl lay sleeping, still caught up in the throes of dreaming. But unlike the peaceful environment of her bedroom, her dreams were fraught with danger and violence. She dreamed she was… a warrior. Lithe but muscular, clad in a tight battle costume, with her hair done up in an unnatural style. She was fighting her way through some sort of dark industrial facility, filled with dangerous catwalks and strange, fluid-filled fixtures. Her enemies were swarms of powerful monsters, coming at her, one after the other. But it was okay, because she was also strong, and had special powers. As she dispatched the misshapen creatures, she finally made her way to the last one, the leader monster. It was a great horned beast that resembled a mix of multiple animals, and towered over her. She had to fight it to escape the facility. But before she could land the first blow, the creature, and the facility, dissolved out of existence.

Uriko's eyelids slowly fluttered open as she woke up to the real world. She laid in bed, gazing outside the bedroom window without focus. _What was that dream?_ She'd never really experienced anything like that. For the most part, she was just a normal girl, with a peaceful, but boring life. Nothing like a sci-fi action movie.

Still, that was pretty cool. She kept imagining herself fighting a bunch of bad guys like a superhero, moving with the grace of an experienced acrobat and hitting like a seasoned kung-fu warrior. In real life, she was clumsy, prone to tripping over her own two feet (to great embarrassment). As a child, her playground scuffles consisted of haphazard slapping and scratching and hair-pulling. The only time she had ever thrown a punch, she sprained her arm and had to keep it in a sling for two months.

Uriko lifted herself out of bed and into her slippers. She shuffled into the hallway, past her older sister's bedroom. Alice was away at school, training to become a nurse. Uriko awaited her return, in about a week's time. _That's right, the welcoming party!_ It was today that Uriko and her mother were supposed to go out and get the last supplies and attend to the last preparation details. They dearly missed Alice, and so were going to surprise her with a big celebration when she got back.

Uriko set about with getting ready for the day, bathing, brushing her teeth, finding an outfit for the long day of shopping ahead of her. She settled on a simple blouse and knee-length skirt, with a set of opaque stockings. She wore a pair of busted-up, but comfy sneakers. Fairly boring, but also sensible. It wasn't too different from her regular life; safe but uneventful.

Downstairs, Uriko's mother worked on her own routine, having gotten dressed, worked on some minor house chores, and was now preparing a late breakfast for herself and her daughter. Uriko skipped into the kitchen and threw her arms around her mom, greeting her with a quick, but spirited embrace. "Morning, mom!'

The large woman bent over and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Good morning, dear, sleep well?"

"Oh man!" Uriko twirled around, tossing her hands in the air. "I had the wildest dream! I was like, fighting a bunch of bad guys, and kicking everyone's butt~!" she waved her hands through the air, miming what she had seen in action movies. She kicked the air sloppily. "Like wow! Pow! Punch! And then, like, everything exploded—"

"That sounds exciting dear," Mitsuko chuckled. She patted her daughters head, then moved past her, setting two plates at the table. "Let's have something to eat before we head out."

"Mm! Food!" Uriko scrambled into a chair and immediately started shoveling food into her mouth, as if she hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Mom," she sputtered, mouth full of rice, "do you think you could ever put me in martial arts class?"

"You want to learn martial arts?" Mitsuko asked incredulously. "But you don't even like sports at school."

"Yeah but that's different!" Uriko chirped, crumbs flying from her mouth. "Fighting is cool! I wanna learn how to fight!"

"Fighting is not, _cool_ , young lady," Mitsuko responded, leaning over to wipe crumbs from her daughter's face. "It's violent, and very dangerous."

"Nuh-uhh~!" Uriko shot back. She had gone back to miming punches and chops, proving her own sound effects. _Pah pah! Chaa!_

"Alright, settle down, Uriko. Finish your food."

"Mom, _pleeeeeaase!_ "

Mitsuko chuckled. "Maybe when you're older."

Uriko threw her arms above her head. "Yaaaaay!" She then went back to shoveling her breakfast down her throat, hunched over her plate like some kind of starved animal.

The two finished eating and cleared the table, leaving the house shortly afterwards. Mother and daughter boarded a city bus and headed into town, off to buy party supplies and cute clothes for their celebration.

The Nonomuras eventually found themselves in a department store. Something caught Uriko's eye and she sped excitedly towards the back. Mitsuko could only sigh contentedly, and strode after her.

Uriko could be a handful, but Mitsuko knew they had been especially fortunate. It had been about five years now, when Uriko was kidnapped by the malevolent Tylon Corporation, experimented on and turned into a weapon for the corporation. Mitsuko had stormed the Corporation headquarters on her own, battling anyone who stood in her way, and managed to rescue the young Uriko. In spite of the alterations done to the young girl, Uriko was now growing up into a (mostly) normal young girl. She was lively and free-spirited, with interests normal for a young lady. She bore no trauma from having been torn from her mother at a young age, and, now at fifteen years old, Uriko barely even remembered the incident.

But now, Uriko was all abuzz with the idea of learning _to fight_. Mitsuko spent so many years worrying over her daughters' lives, anxious that they might be taken by Tylon or some other nefarious organization. She didn't want Uriko to involve herself in that struggle, especially _willingly._

If she had any consolation, it was the fact that Mitsuko was known to be one of the most powerful _zoanthropes_ alive. A human with the mysterious ability to shift into a powerful intermediary between human and beast. Mitsuko was able to take the form of a boar, with little formal fighting technique, but incredible raw strength and physical power.

Uriko, apart from what she experienced in Tylon's labs, had yet to show any signs of conventional zoanthropy. But Mitsuko knew that, at least, if Uriko ever did develop those abilities, Mitsuko and Alice, herself another zoanthrope, would be able to guide her through them.

"Mooomm, look!" Uriko's voice broke through Mitsuko's thoughts.

Mitsuko looked up to focus on her daughter. Uriko was wearing a greatly oversized jacket, with the chest absolutely drowning her and the sleeves almost drooping down to the floor. She looked ridiculous.

Mitsuko chuckled softly. "Uriko, what _are_ you doing?"

Uriko flapped her arms around, the trailing sleeves waving through the air like noodles. "Rrroooooww," she growled, "I'm the _spaghetti monster._ "

"Uriko, put that away. Let's find you a proper outfit."

Uriko giggled and skipped back to the display where she found the jacket. She replaced it, then turned her focus to another stand. She pulled out another top, a sporty jacket that actually was in her size. Silver, with bright blue and purple accents, and a handful of paw print emblems on the front and back. "What about this?"

"Uriko, you can't wear that to a party."

"But it's so cute! Look! It has kitties!"

"Uriko, your older sister hasn't seen you in years. Don't you want to look pretty when she gets back?"

Uriko pouted and returned the jacket. Mitsuko walked by, and pulled out a nice sequined dress, with shimmering frills along the hems. Uriko immediately scowled, sticking her tongue out.

The two continued like so, pulling out outfits that continuously met each other's disapproval. Uriko was even coerced into trying on a few of them, leaving the dressing room each time slouched over and pouting. She didn't care for any of tight or fancy dresses and blouses. She wanted the freedom to move and skip around happily without worrying about tearing a seam or losing her breath. Her mom was a tall, muscular woman, who often dressed in sensible slacks and fitted jackets, and Uriko didn't understand why she was so adamant on dressing Uriko glitzy formalwear.

"Uuugh," Uriko groaned, coming out of the dressing room for what she hoped would be the last time. "I don't like anything here. Let's go somewhere else."

Mitsuko sighed. "Oh, alright. Let's go see what else we can find"

The two left the store, ultimately, without buying anything. They strode down the street; Mitsuko tall and confident, Uriko clutching at her mother's arm like a child. Uriko, ever chatty, started babbling on about anything that crossed her mind. What time was Alice getting back? Do you think she'll have some crazy new hairdo? Maybe she has a boyfriend! Hey, look at that flower! At she school they had to do a project and she got paired up with a strange quiet boy but he was cute so…

She didn't notice that Mitsuko had gone silent.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

Mitsuko was looking over her shoulder. Before, Uriko had just been hanging off of her mother's arm, but now Mitsuko had pulled Uriko close, strengthening her grip around Uriko.

Uriko looked behind them as well, as discreetly as she could manage. Some paces behind, was a gang of strange men, all in similar outfits; camouflage pants with matching heavy jackets, with accessories like scarves or sunglasses to hide their features. Their jackets had an emblem that she couldn't make out.

"Mom? Who are those guys?"

"Shh," responded Mitsuko, her voice reassuring, but unable to mask the fear underneath. "Stay focused, Uriko. Pay close attention to whatever I say. Walk quickly."

Uriko nodded. "Mhm!" She gripped her mother's arm tighter. The two began to walk faster, almost breaking out into a jog. The men behind them upped their pace as well, but it was evident that they were also trying not to draw suspicion, and they couldn't go fast enough to catch up.

They were nearing a corner now. Uriko could hear the sounds of a marketplace in the distance. If they could reach the crowds, then they could blend in and lose those guys, or at least, the gang would have to back off for fear of being seen. _Good thinking, mom,_ Uriko thought to herself.

But before they could turn around the corner, another group of goons emerged from behind it. Uriko gasped, almost leaping into the air and knocking her mother over. Mitsuko steadied her and pulled her closer.

The guys in front of Uriko and Mitsuko were like the ones that had been trailing the two, but they were lead by a uniquely-dressed man. The leader was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a traditional silk lavender shirt and black pants. His dark hair was pulled pack into a long ponytail, with a few stray strands falling in front of his eyes. His gaze was _intense_ , crimson eyes calm, but restraining a sadistic fury underneath.

"Mitsuko Nonomura," he spoke succinctly.

Mitsuko did not respond, only returned an equally intense gaze.

"Now, now," he said, with a false friendliness to his voice. "No need for us to treat each other so harshly. After all, we both need each other."

The man bowed. "Allow me to introduce myself. They call me _Shen-Long_. Leader of the _Zoanthrope Liberation Front._ "

Uriko's eyes went wide! The ZLF! She had seen reports on them on the news. A gang of terrorists that consisted of zoanthropes. They went around, destroying things and kidnapping other zoanthropes… what did they want with her mother?

"Leave us be," Mitsuko stated gruffly. "I'm not interested in your gang of miscreants."

Shen-Long's eyes narrowed. "Are you turning your back on your fellow zoanthropes, then?"

"Your lot hasn't done anything to help zoanthropes!" Mitsuko spat back. "All you do is go around wrecking things and making life difficult for everyone!"

"This is… _unfortunate_ ," Shen-Long purred. "I was hoping to secure your cooperation. Your power is… quite valuable, after all."

The man stepped forward. "But we have other ways of getting what we want."

Uriko noticed that the group behind them had gotten uncomfortably close, surrounding them. Then, suddenly, Mitsuko tore herself away from her daughter, and _grabbed_ one of the henchmen by the collar. He barely reacted, just went limp. With an amazing strength and speed, Mitsuko hurled the man in front of them. Shen-Long dodged the humanoid projectile, with the agility expected from a martial arts master. But the airborne henchman hit the rest of the gang, knocking them over like _bowling pins_ , and leaving a gap in the crowd.

Mitsuko shoved Uriko forward. "Uriko! Run"

"But—where,"

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

Uriko sprinted forward, almost tripping over the tangle of limbs beneath her feet. She heard Shen-Long hiss as he swiped at her, trying to catch her. But she stumbled slightly, and his arms went through empty air. Heart pounding, Uriko righted herself, then leapt forward, evading Shen-Long's grasp. She broke into a full-tilt run, speeding down the sidewalk.

"You're going to make this DIFFICULT, then," Shen-Long half-hissed, half-spat. He turned back to face Mitsuko, then was completely caught off guard as a meaty fist sunk itself into the side of his face. He fell over, but caught himself before his face hit the ground. He looked up at Mitsuko, eyes wide and once-calm features twisted in rage.

"One way or another," he growled, "I _am_ going to get what I want!"

Mitsuko realized that there was no leaving without a battle. Confirming that Uriko was a safe distance (and getting farther) away, she turned her attention to the situation at hand. In a split second, she drew breath and focused, then threw her arms out, releasing a blast of energy that knocked down the rest of the ZLF goons and even sent Shen-Long tumbling.

In Mitsuko's place stood a towering, sturdily-built beast, with the body of a stocky woman and the head of a boar. Her hands and feet ended in thick, sturdy claws, while a pair of rough, fearsome tusks curved away from her face. Her entire body was covered in dark thick fur, almost impenetrable to any normal attack.

Mitsuko hunched forward, assuming a fighting stance. "You want me. Come get me."

Shen-Long howled, in a way that couldn't be considered human. He leapt to his feet and kicked at his surrounding men, who were still limp on the group. "What are you doing? Get up! Grab her!"

Mitsuko smirked internally. She knew nothing of Shen-Long's strength, but this gang was disorganized. She wouldn't have any problem taking them out all at once.

Uriko, meanwhile, had put some serious distance between herself and her attackers. She looked behind her, and could see that she hadn't been followed. She leaned against a wall, panting heavily, taking the opportunity to catch her breath.

The ZLF? What were they doing here, in her hometown? What did they want with her mom and how had they been able to find Uriko's family? Uriko closed her eyes, trying to think of any detail of any details that could help her pierce together an answer. She knew that she had been kidnapped some years ago, but could barely remember anything about the incident. She came up with nothing.

It was then, she noticed, that she recognized the area that she was in. She realized that she actually hadn't gotten that far, linearly, from where she started. Having taken a bunch of complicated turns in her escape, she was only a few blocks away from where Shen-Long had cornered Uriko and Mitsuko. She knew the buildings in the area as well; most of them were flat-roofed, separated by narrow alleyways, with ladders running up the side.

She formed her plan. A proficient (and mischievous) climber, she would make her way back through the alleyways, up one of the buildings, and from a rooftop vantage point, keep an eye on her mother!

Uriko started making her way back, stealthily threading through alleyways and crossing an occasional street. As she got closer, she heard the sounds of a fight going down, and realized that it was actually on the other side of the building she was next to.

She felt along the walls looking for bricks that jutted out. Having found a grip, she started bringing herself up. The space between this building and the one behind her was especially narrow, so she was able to place one foot on one wall and one on the other to push herself up. As long as she didn't slip, she wouldn't have any trouble reaching the top.

Fumbling a hand around, she found the ledge. Nudging herself upwards, Uriko put both arms over the side, the wiggled forward, like a slug, until her knees finally made it over the side. She picked herself up, dusted off her clothing and sprinted across the rooftop.

She made it to the other side, just in time, to witness Shen-Long place Mitsuko's burly arms in a lock behind her back, and, using some sort of energy, blast her clean down the block. Mitsuko slammed into a brick wall, a cloud of dust and debris erupting from where she had likely gone right through the wall.

Uriko let out a strangled cry and held her hands to her face. _No, Mom!_ Mitsuko was getting easily tossed around by Shen-Long and his men. _But how?_

Uriko watched as Shen-Long calmly strode towards the wrecked building. Mitsuko was getting up, and stumbled forward, staggering. She was raising her fists, ready to punch at her opponent.

Without hesitation, Shen-Long unleased a flurry of strikes, his fists moving too fast for Uriko to make them out, striking Mitsuko repeatedly in the face and chest. He finished off with with a sweeping kick to the face, and Mitsuko crumpled, knocked out.

Uriko shrieked. They were going to take her mother away, and she was only standing around, unable to do anything but watch! No, she _had_ to do something.

She stepped back, and drew in a deep breath, as she had seen her mother do before. Gathering her focus, she cleared her mind, and tried, to look deep within herself, looking for a source of power, that she knew, innately, that she had to have. Any scrap of strength that she could use to save her mom.

 _Chimera._

And then she found it, that fountain of strength. She reached out and grabbed it, taking it within herself. The power surged through her entire form. She felt herself changing, muscles becoming firm, limbs elongating, fearsome claws growing out from the tips of her fingers and toes… Without thinking, she threw herself from the rooftop, her change completing as she fell. She hit the ground in a crouch, unleashing a blast of energy that took out the surrounding windows and left a crater at her feet.

Shenlong whipped around to face her. His eyes were wide, but not with fear. Surprise, but no terror. _Amusement._ He let out a single barking bwaHAH!

"Hey," he smirked, barely restraining giggles. "What the hell is this?"

"Huh?" Uriko gasped. She stood up, straightening herself out. "I'll show show you!"

But, that's when she caught sight of her reflection in one of the surviving mirrors. _Her appearance had barely changed_. She was covered with soft, striped fur now, with her face having taken on some feline characteristics; eyes widened to an inhuman roundness, and small fangs appeared in her mouth. She had sprouted a long, twitchy tail, and her hands and feet had stretched out into round paws. But there was no real _power_ to her form, nothing that inspired fear like her mother and other zoanthropes did.

Shen-Long was breaking into full-on laughter now. "Is this the power of the chimera?! A little kitten? A mere _half-beast_?!"

" _Stop laughing at meee!"_ Uriko yowled. She leapt forward, bringing her new claws forward to strike at Shen-Long.

In an instant, all of the emotion was wiped from Shen-Long's face. He swung his arm forward, catching Uriko by the throat, and using her own momentum against her, slammed her against the nearest wall. Uriko gasped for air and clawed at his arm, struggling to get free.

Shen-Long glared hatefully at Uriko, his face hardened. He tightened his grip around her throat. "A weakling like you… you aren't worth the time or effort."

And just like that, he released her. Uriko fell in a pile, taking in big gulps of air. Shen-Long began to walk away, waving to his scattered men. "Let's go," he barked. "Grab the boar."

"Don't," Uriko seethed. " _Don't ignore me!"_

She lunged forward again. Shen-Long twirled around casually, and swung his foot into her stomach. Uriko was sent rolling, landing on her back. Shen-Long sauntered over to her, then firmly kicked her in the ribs, flipping her into a face-down position. Uriko gasped harshly, barely even able to get any noise out.

"This is _over, half-beast_ " Shen-Long sneered. He walked away. Tears pricked at Uriko's eyes. She could barely move, her newfound strength rapidly fading. Her vision began to fill with darkness, and soon after, she was out cold.


	3. Asset Reclamation

The arena was clad in shadows, aside from the ring in the center, lit up with bright stadium lights. The seats were filled with cheering, rowdy crowds. A model sauntered around the edge of the ring, holding up a placard displaying the status of the match. _Final Round._

In one corner, a lanky, older man, head shaved clean. Built for speed rather than power, with experience to back him up.

In the opposite corner, a younger guy, tall and muscular. His hair, brown and clipped short, was ruffled wildly and plastered with sweat. He was more hot-headed than his opponent, prone to making decisions that often did not work out for him, but at least, made him exciting to watch. His fast footwork and powerful striking ability had made him a contender, an up-and-coming star in the local fighting circuit.

 _Ding!_ Both fighters rose and swaggered over to each other, ready to strike. They focused intently on each other, simultaneously staying wary of an attack, and looking for an opening in their opponent's defenses.

The slim man struck first. He let out of spray of long, quick punches, striking the younger guy in the chest. But the younger man travelled with his recoil, rolling backwards, putting distance between himself and his opponent. He leapt back to feet, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet, arms held loosely in front of him in defense.

The slim man closed in. He sent forth another flurry of punches, aiming for his opponent's head and chest. But the younger man was able to block them all, swinging his left arm in the path of the punches, sending them all off track. He took advantage of the sudden break in his opponent's stance, and followed up with a solid punch to the gut.

The slim man gasp and staggered back. The younger man saw the chance to strike and followed, landing thick punch after thick punch. The skinnier guy tried to skip backwards, but it was not enough to escape his opponent's reach. He took a sweeping kick to the face and, with his balance already thrown off, fell over on his side.

The younger man stepped back as a referee hopped into the ring, and started the countdown. _Three, two, one._ The older man laid panting on the floor of the ring, not getting up.

The referee grabbed the younger man's wrist and struck his arm into the air. "Alrrright! Give it up for tonight's winner!" he announced. " _Yugo Ogami!_ "

The crowd erupted into cheers. Yugo hopped around and waved, overcome with exuberance, but also exhaustion. The match, which he had spent many grueling weeks training for, had lasted almost all night long. His muscles felt light and tender; he was ready to go limp.

Yugo staggered over to his opponent, crouching down, then extending his hand. The older man caught it, and Yugo lifted him to his feet. Even if they were opponents, they had fought fairly and chivalrously, with mutual respect for each other. They shook hands vigorously, then the older man pulled Yugo in for an embrace, patting Yugo on the back. "Good job, kid," he congratulated. " _You're gonna surpass your old man someday._ "

Yugo returned the hug. "Thanks," he panted, "I can only hope."

As the two pulled away from each other, a young boy leapt over the ropes and hurled towards Yugo.

"Yugo!"

"Kenji!"

The boy flew into Yugo's arms. Yugo caught him in a brotherly hug, swinging him around and ruffling his hair.

"That was amazing, Yugo," Kenji giggled. "You really kicked his butt!"

"Hey now, he kind of roughed me up too."

"Yeah! And you never went down!"

"As expected of your amazing big brother!"

Yugo put the smaller boy down, and waved to the crowd a few more times. Kenji gleefully followed lead, waving both arms wildly. It was admittedly rare to see him so excited, and Yugo decided to let him express his happiness, and his pride for his older brother, as long as he could.

As Kenji began to wind down, Yugo tapped him on the shoulder. "Alright little bro, let's get out of here."

The two made their way out of the ring, crouching under the liquorice-red ropes. Yugo hopped down, then extended hand to help his little brother down. Yugo led the way through the crowd, shaking hands with and giving high-fives to excited fans, while Kenji, ever shy and not one to interact with strangers, stuck close to his brother's back.

Having escaped the arena, the brothers were now walking through the backstage corridors. They were thankfully mostly empty, the announcers and reporters still in the main arena.

"You go chill in my dressing room for a bit," Yugo told Kenji. "I'm gonna go grab a shower and get dressed. Then we'll go out and celebrate, okay?"

"Okay!" Kenji chirped, his face beaming with adoration for his big brother.

Yugo patted Kenji on the shoulder, and the younger boy sped off for his brother's quarters. Yugo, meanwhile, went for the locker room, looking forward to a steamy, relaxing shower.

He got there a few moments later, grabbed his bag from one of the lockers, and made his way towards the shower stalls. As the water heated up, he stripped down, his sweaty clothes falling into a damp pile on the cold tile floor, and revealing his physique.

For a young man in his early twenties, Yugo had a surprising rough and worn look to him. He was somewhere between slim and muscle-bound, small enough to move around the battlefield with ease, but built enough to deal powerful blows and survive powerful strikes with little recoil. His skin was tanned and rough from exposure, covered with scars; some fading from years of existence, others fresh and still healing. While he now made his living as a boxer, he was no stranger to battle, having spent most of his youth in and out of _actual war zones_ , and embroiled, occasionally, in more secretive conflicts.

Yugo stepped into the shower, the warm water washing over his powerful form. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, thinking back to the incidents of almost five years ago. It was in one such secret conflict, back then, that he had met his brother Kenji.

 _The Tylon Headquarters were burning down, aided in their destruction by explosions in another part of the building, set off by another rogue agent. Yugo was rushing through the labs, freeing whatever prisoners he could find and knocking over whatever equipment looked suspicious to him._

 _Yugo had spent the last few weeks searching for his missing father, and here, in a raid on Tylon HQ, he had confirmed his death, at the hands of Tylon researchers. He hungered for revenge and wanted for justice, but he knew as well that he couldn't just stand by as Tylon came crumbling down. Save everyone else first, he thought. Don't let anyone else suffer at the hands of these monsters._

 _Reaching the last level of the labs, Yugo inspected the cells. Empty. But he could feel another presence, small and weak. He headed towards a dark corner of the lab, unsure of what he would find._

 _There, huddled in the shadows, was a small child, wrapped in a plain smock, scruffy blue hair sticking up in messy spikes._

" _Hey kid," Yugo panted. "Come on, we have to get out of here. Place is coming down."_

 _The child only stared at him blankly._

" _Are you alright, buddy? Can you walk?"_

 _Again, no answers, only an empty, forlorn stare._

 _Yugo realized that the child was probably traumatized by whatever horrors he'd experienced in these labs. He'd have to carry the kid out. Oh well. Yugo bent down and plucked the kid upwards with a grunt. He didn't respond to that either, only hung in his Yugo's arms limply._

 _No matter. They would get out of here and get help for the kid later. Yugo rushed out of the lab and headed for the exits of the building, running a few final checks for survivors and getting into a handful of scuffles with building security along the way. But after a night-long struggle, he did manage to make it out, a handful of other escaped children in tow._

 _Yugo stood on a hillside in the cold night air, breathing in fresh air, a refreshing change to the noxious smoke he had been choking down throughout the evening. He had met up with another ally from the raid, a mother who had come looking for her daughter. She managed to find her daughter, and had also pulled out another young girl, closer to Yugo's age, from the lab. They were joined by other rebels and escapees, a small crowd forming on the hillside. The group stayed up through the night, watching Tylon HQ burn down, bright orange embers lighting up the night sky._

 _The boy that Yugo rescued had remained unresponsive, but later, Yugo noticed his small arms, wrapped around Yugo's neck in a fearful embrace._

Yeah, that had been five years ago. The boy had no memories or identity, no family to go home to. So Yugo, himself now an orphan, took him in, and gave him his name. _Kenji._

In the months that followed, Kenji remained quiet and unemotional. He barely ate or spoke. But Yugo persevered, treating Kenji the same as any brother would, and worked at slowly and carefully drawing him out of his shell. It had been almost a year until Kenji _smiled_ , but it was one of the happiest days of Yugo's life. He knew then, that regardless of the tragedies that had befallen the brothers' lives, that Kenji would turn out alright.

And that, he did. Kenji progressed steadily, showing more and more feeling and excitement for life as the years went by. He was still shy and introverted, but that just seemed to be his basic nature. He lived life happily, with an undying love and appreciation for his older brother who had saved him and given him new life. Sure, they weren't related by blood, but they still had a deep, fraternal connection. Yugo displayed genuine interest and excitement in all of Kenji's hobbies, and, when Yugo started out on his career as a fighter, Kenji became his biggest fan.

Yugo smiled softly to himself. With his popularity and success as a fighter increasing, he knew that he and his brother would make it out alright. Nothing could tear them apart.

Coming out of his reverie, Yugo finished bathing and shut off the water. He stepped out, toweled off briskly, and got dressed quickly. He put his stuff away in the locker and headed out to meet up with Kenji.

Kenji was waiting expectantly for his older brother in the dressing room, a small paperback in his hands. Not one to easily socialize with strangers, Kenji often toted a small book with him to keep him occupied. He'd probably already finished this one off.

"You ready to go?" Yugo asked. Kenji nodded, getting up from his chair. "Alright, let's go buddy."

The two strolled contentedly through the winding corridors. Yugo wanted to avoid the crowds, no doubt drunk nd rambunctious at this hour, so he headed for the stadium's back entrance. From there they would find Yugo's motorcycle, and go find somewhere to have fun. Yugo pondered where they could go, though. Kenji was not one for partying, and it was probably getting close to his bed time. Maybe they could leave the celebrations for another night…?

"Doesn't Miss Tsukagami come back tonight?" Kenji's soft voice broke through Yugo's thoughts.

Hey, that's right! Alice Tsukagami was one of brothers' old friends, another rebel who had been involved in the raid on Tylon. She had gone back to a normal life, and a few years later, went to another city to study medicine. Yugo hadn't seen her ages, and had only spoken to her through phone calls and occasional letters. If she wasn't too tired, they could pick her up, take her over to the Ogami household, and they would spend all night catching up…

"That's right," Yugo confirmed, grinning toothily. He pulled out his phone, scrolling through his disorganized contacts for her number. "Let's call her up."

The line rang for a minute. He heard a click, but it had just gone to messages. Maybe she was still on the plane. Yugo grumbled to himself, but put on a chipper voice for his friend. "Hey, Alice!" he started to leave the voice message. "I heard your plane comes in tonight. Me and Kenji just got out of a match. Let me know if you want to hang out. Kenji wants to see you~!" _Beep._

"What'd she say?" Kenji asked.

"Didn't pick up," Yugo grumbled. "Let's just go home for now. We'll see if she calls us later."

Kenji nodded, a little disappointed, but also understanding. He knew that Yugo was likely sore and exhausted from the match, and Kenji himself was also starting to get a little drowsy. The two exited the stadium and stepped out into a dark alley way.

"Alright, Yugo grumbled, "where'd I leave my leave my bike…"

Suddenly, the stadium door behind them slammed shut, cutting off the only source of light. Both brothers leaped in surprise, Kenji clutching at Yugo's shirt. They stood in the darkness, staring at the stadium door. What the heck was that?

"Must have been the wind," Yugo mumbled. He held Kenji's hand, comforting him. "Let's just hurry up and get out of here.

Yugo led his brother forward for a few steps, when suddenly, the alley was awash with light again, this time from in front of him. " _Nghh!_ " he snarled, shielding himself from the blinding floodlights right in front of him.

"Alright, alright, alright!" he heard a strange voice from the direction of the light. "Looks like we finally found you, _Bakuryu~!_ "

Yugo strained his eyes open, adjusting them to the light. He focused on the source of voice. Ahead of him was a group of people he didn't recognize, standing around and in front of a truck, blocking in the alley. Most of them were dressed similarly, except for one strange individual in the center, crouching on the hood of the truck.

That guy had bizarre proportions and an even stranger face. He resembled a human being, but stretched out, like some kind of chewy candy. His torso was a weirdly long as his arms and legs, but his hunched over posture made his limbs seem especially longer. A misshapen hump rose from the back of his neck and ran down his spine, making his head appear to be sunken into his shoulders. His eyes were somehow simultaneously bulging and squinting, eyelids straining to cover his eyeballs. The guy's hair was emerald green, styled into a sloppy mohawk that drooped over his face. While he associates were dressed in a standard uniform, the guy was clad in a sloppily-buttoned, wrinkled Hawaiian shirt, a pair of cargo shorts, and a set of worn-out flip-flops.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Yugo snarled. He stepped protectively in front of Kenji, shielding him from the strangers.

"Just some neighborhood kids~!" the weirdo responded, in a creepy, sing-song voice. "Looking for our lost toy!"

"Well, you're not gonna find any toys here," Yugo snapped. He could feel Kenji behind him, pulling his shirt and digging his face into Yugo's back. Truthfully, Yugo was scared too, but as the older brother, he had to put on a brave front.

"Oi? Looks like you're hiding a precious play-thing ri~ght behind you!" The green-haired weirdo flicked a hand forward, and the other figures began to close in on Yugo and Kenji.

Yugo crouched down, lowering himself into a fighting stance. "Get back, you creeps!" he barked. "Don't make me do something you'll regret!"

"Chill out, you mutt," the weird guy groaned. "Let me grab what I came here for and I'll be out of your way!"

Yugo snarled. There was no way he'd let these creeps take his brother without a fight. With a roar, he charged forward, knocking down the closest attacker. He went right into wailing on that goon's face, slamming his fists into his skull. Another attacker tried to pull Yugo off of his ally, but Yugo jumped at that guy too, slamming a knee into his abdomen. Yugo threw the guy at the next closest attacker, slamming them both into the wall.

He stood in front of Kenji protectively, baring his teeth and snarling like a wild animal. He could feel his own zoanthrope abilities, the rage of a wild wolf, start to rise within him, like a fire starting up in his stomach, then creeping its way up through his chest.

"Which one of you freaks is next?!" he barked.

"Freaks?" the green-haired guy asked incredulously. "Oh alright. With everyone else striking out, I suppose I'm up to bat!"

Then he disappeared.

Yugo blinked in confusion. The guy had just… vanished into thin-air. He had been crouching rudely on the truck hood and now he just wasn't _anywhere_.

Before he had the chance to think about it, he suddenly had the wind knocked out of him. Yugo gasped sharply. It was like he had been sucker-punched in the stomach. But how? There was no one there!

He slashed at the air in front of him, expecting to catch of the force responsible, but his hands grasped at nothing. Then came another sharp blow to his side, under his ribs. He twirled around wildly, trying to catch the invisible assailant. A force came down on his toes, then to the back of his knee. He stumbled forward, grunting, losing his footing. The last strike came from behind, slamming into his back, and he fell face-first towards the ground.

He tried to right himself as quickly as possible, but in a moment, his assailants had quickly dog-piled on him as quickly as possible, one grabbing each arm, and another pair sitting on his legs. He struggled and snapped at them, struggling to get free, but he was spent. Even with his zoanthrope abilities, he couldn't muster up the energy to keep fighting.

"Yugo!" Kenji cried out. He was confused and afraid, unsure of what he could do. He didn't think he could take on his brother's assailants, and he didn't seem to have anywhere to run.

He stepped back, and felt himself bump into a firm surface behind him. He looked up

It was the weird green-haired guy. Somehow he had materialized, undetected, behind Kenji.

"Hey, Bakuryu," he grinned, exposing a misshapen mouth that contained far too many teeth.

Kenji stammered. "N-no! I'm Kenji! My name's Kenji!"

"That's right!" Yugo roared. "That's my little brother, Kenji! Don't you dare lay a single scaly finger on him, you slimy little—"

The strange guy produced a mysterious device from his pockets. He held it near one of Kenji's ears and clicked one of the buttons on the side, letting out a short, punctuated trill. Kenji's eyelids fluttered and his body went limp, falling forward into the weird guy's arms. He lifted Kenji up draped him over his shoulder, the boy's limbs flopping around uselessly.

"No! Kenji!" Yugo shouted, now struggling harder than ever. "Put him down, you nasty weirdo! He's my brother! Give him back!"

The guy let out a high-pitched chuckle. "You call this creature your brother?"

He sauntered over to Yugo, crouching down in front in front of his angry, straining face. "This… play-thing?" he asked, indicating to Kenji's limp body. "That's all he is! A toy! A puppet! And like a puppet, he dances jussst for me~!"

"No…" Yugo growled.

"Whatever," the guy got up, and sauntered back towards the truck. "See you around, fleabag."

With one last chance, Yugo lunged forward. But then one of the assailants brought the butt of a weapon down upon the base of his shoulder, and his world flashed to darkness.


End file.
